The whole night, Lyra couldn't get Sesshomaru out of her mind. There was something extremely special and unique about him. And there was a connection she couldn't seem to shake off from when they shook hands. He was the last thing he thought about before sleeping and the first thing when she woke up.
She slammed her fists down on the bed either side of her body. 'Dammit! Why can't I get him out of my mind?!'
Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud banging on the door. She groaned and jumped out of bed before looking out through the peep hole. It was the landlord. He was a middle aged man who was constantly grumpy. With a deep sigh, she opened the door just a little to poke her head out.
"Good morning, sir," she greeted before he shoved a letter in her face. Her head moved back a little as she took it from him. "What's this?"
"Your eviction notice."
Her eyes widened as her heart dropped. "Eviction notice?!" she gasped. "But why? I've been paying you rent!"
"I don't care!" he yelled. "You have no job! How will you continue paying the rent?!"
"I've been trying really hard. Please just give me a few more days," she begged with her hands clasped together. "I'll find something."
The landlord stroked his chin beard. "Fine. You've got until tomorrow."
Lyra had to take whatever she was given and agreed to the timescale. Once the landlord left, she closed the door and looked at the letter in her hand.
EVICTION NOTICE
It was written in big, bold, red letters.
"Shit..."
Forcing herself to get ready, she zoomed out of the house and began her job search. She went to every single building and practically begged all of them for a job. Even the ones who initially showed interest began refusing her. Her entire morning was spent trying to find work and she soon gave up hope. She felt completely dejected and hopeless, all sense of emotion had disappeared. Not knowing what to do or what to think, she allowed her feet to drag her to nowhere in particular. Her mind and body were numb knowing that she would soon be homeless. This time tomorrow, she'd be living on the streets.
Moments later, she found herself in the local park. It was completely empty. Finding a bench, she flopped down onto it. If she wasn't feeling so numb, she would have burst into tears as she opened up the notice and stared at it.
***
Sesshomaru's entire night went on focusing on his work. It took him longer than he anticipated though because that woman kept haunting his thoughts. He couldn't understand why he felt such a connection with her and why he was so concerned about her wellbeing. After seeing where she lived, anyone would have been concerned. But he didn't know her. He had only met her once. So why was he actively worried about her?
He was currently sat in his office and he finally finished his work after much distraction. He closed the lid of his laptop before checking his watch. Lunchtime. After he left the office, he made his way to the same café. He had already decided after the previous day's incident that he wasn't going to eat there anymore. But part of him wanted to check if that woman was there.
She wasn't.
He left and found a different café to lunch at instead. With no more work to do, he found his lunch hour to be dragging. He had finished his tea but sitting there was just so mind numbingly boring that he got up and left after a few minutes. To kill some time, he decided to take the longer route back to the office. Whilst walking passed a local park, his eyes widened. 'That scent...' He stopped walking and scanned the park, quickly finding her sitting alone on a bench. Again, it irritated him. 'Just when I thought I'd never see you again...'
Entering the park, he made his way over to her. There was some sort of letter clutched in her hands, her eyes glued to the sheet as if she was daydreaming. She didn't notice him approach until he spoke.
"It seems we are always destined to cross paths," he said.
Lyra gasped at his sudden appearance and quickly scrunched up the letter. Stuffing it into her pocket, she looked up at him and smiled nervously.
"Oh, i-i-it's you," she stuttered. "I didn't see you there. How-How are you?"
"I am well." His eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing her glazed eyes. "Is something wrong?"
She quickly shook her head and wiped away the tear at her waterline. "No, I'm fine. Everything's cool. Just...great."
"I'm not convinced."
She glanced down and sighed. "It doesn't matter anyway. It's my own problem to deal with."
He held his hand out. "Give it to me."
Glancing up at him again, her eyes widened. "What?"
"The letter. Give it to me," he repeated.
Reluctantly, she pulled out the scrunched up ball of paper and placed it in his outstretched hand. He opened it up and was instantly drawn to the large warning at the top of the letter.
"An eviction notice?" he questioned.
"Yeah," she sighed. "I've been paying my rent but the landlord's concern is that I don't have a job. But believe me, I've been trying to find work but no one seems to want to hire me." She laughed wryly before motioning to herself. "I mean look at me. Who would hire this?"
"I will."
She blinked in surprise. "What?"
Sesshomaru didn't know what had compelled him to offer his help but it seemed right.
"I'll hire you," he told her.
"You... You will?" she asked in shock. "But why?"
"Why not?" he asked in return.
She shrugged. "I don't know..."
He breathed out. "Have you heard of Taisho Corps? They're hiring."
"I have but I didn't feel worthy of working for such a large company... Is that where you work?"
"Yes," he answered with only a half truth. "Come with me to HQ. I'll find you a job."
Lyra stood slowly. She was so surprised that he was so willing to help her but she grateful. Still, she couldn't understand it.
"Why are you helping me?" she asked.
Sesshomaru turned away. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "Follow me."
For some reason, he had a strong desire to protect her. And if providing her with a job would help her, then it's what he needed to do. Lyra was surprised by his answer but decided not to question it further. She was just so grateful that Sesshomaru was willing to help her and followed him towards the building.
Once they arrived, they both climbed the steps and entered the rotating glass doors. Lyra instantly felt out of place. Everyone else was wearing such fancy and expensive suits while she was in a hoodie and jeans that were clearly too big for her. People walking passed were greeting Sesshomaru before looking Lyra up and down as she followed behind him. Keeping her head down, she stayed close to him and entered the elevator.
There were other people in there and she could tell they were all staring at her, wondering what she was doing there.
"Good afternoon, sir," they all said together.
"Good afternoon," Sesshomaru greeted back.
Lyra was impressed by how much respect they showed him but she stayed quiet. They were going all the way to the top and people were coming and going along the way. It didn't feel right to be so casual with someone who clearly had a high position within the company.
The bell dinged once they reached the top floor and the two of them walked out. That floor seemed to be even more extravagant than the rest of the building. Everything was made out of marble with chandeliers lining the ceiling all the way down the corridor. There were large wooden doors at the very end of the long corridor with a desk just outside.
A woman sat behind the desk and stood once she saw Sesshomaru approaching. Everything about her was glamorous from her Hollywood style blow out lob hairdo to the black eyeliner, fluttering lashes and red lipstick with the fitted red dress hugging her "perfect" figure.
"Sir, you're back early," she said with a smile but her smile faltered upon spotting Lyra standing there. "Who's this?"
"Hokori, this is Lyra. I wish to hire her for the personal assistant position," he told her.
The woman known as Hokori tilted her head slightly. "For who? For one of the directors?"
"No. For me."
Hokori's eyes visibly widened as Lyra looked at Sesshomaru in surprise. It only made her wonder what position he held in the company.
Hokori smiled awkwardly. "But I'm already your PA."
"As you know the company will be expanding," he explained. "The increasing workload will be too much for you to handle on your own. Lyra will be my second assistant. Now ready the induction paperwork and bring it into my office."
Before Hokori could say anything more, Sesshomaru went to the large wooden doors and opened one of them. He ushered Lyra to enter before him as he held it open for her. She offered a quick smile and bow to Hokori, who returned it with a glare, before she awkwardly entered the next room.
As Sesshomaru closed the door behind him, Lyra was amazed by the grandeur of the office. The room was a large square office with an extremely high ceiling. Of course a chandelier was perched in the centre with a beautiful ceiling rose. The entire back wall was just one huge glass window with a large wooden desk and leather chair in front of it. In the centre of the room was a small coffee table and modern couches on either side of it. Clearly, the office belonged to the head of the company.
"Wow... This must be the CEO's office," she mused aloud to herself before turning to Sesshomaru. "I bet they're over compensating for something," she joked as she nudged Sesshomaru with her elbow. "Know what I'm saying?" she laughed quietly but he just looked at her, clearly unimpressed, causing her to cough awkwardly. "Anyway...do I have to meet the CEO before I'm allowed to be your assistant?"
"Not exactly." He walked over to the desk and sat down on the leather chair behind the desk. "I am the CEO."
Lyra's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets. She only thought he worked there and was high up in the ranks. But she never thought he was the actual CEO of such a major corporation. Why would he even talk to her? He was the richest man in the entire country! Then she thought back to all the dumb and stupid things she had done over the past two days, including the one she just said about the CEO compensating for the size of his-
"Lyra," he called. "Is something the matter?"
"I... You... I didn't... Holy crap." She whacked her hand over her face and breathed out deeply. "Wow, I'm an idiot," she mumbled before dropping her hand again. "I never knew this was your company."
"It's not something I like to advertise," he replied before motioning to the chairs on the other side of his desk. "Take a seat."
She awkwardly shuffled over and sat down. Knowing that he was the head of the company made her suddenly feel nervous. Before that, she saw him as a normal guy. But he held so much power and influence over the company and country and it was quite intimidating.
He leaned back in his seat. "As I mentioned outside, we are planning on expanding the company worldwide. Workload will therefore be increasing and Hokori will not be able to manage it on her own," he explained as Lyra nodded. "I was planning on hiring an extra assistant anyway. Bringing you in makes my life a lot easier and it benefits the both of us. Hokori will train and mentor you. Another desk will be added so you will have your own workspace."
She nodded again, still semi in shock. "That's great."
There was a knock at the door before it opened and Hokori entered. She still didn't look too pleased as her heels clicked against the wooden floors, her eyes piercing into the back of Lyra's head. She walked over to the side of the desk and handed some paperwork to Sesshomaru. She glanced at Lyra again before leaving in silence. Once they were alone again, Sesshomaru took a pen from the side before sliding the papers and the pen across the table to Lyra.
"Fill out as much as you can," he told her. "Do you have a passport?"
"Yes, but I don't have it with me," she answered as she began to scribble down her details.
"Bring it with you tomorrow including your bank card. I will give you two months advanced pay."
Her writing paused as she stared at him. "Seriously?"
"You are in need of it, are you not?"
"Y-yes, but you're already doing so much for me."
He closed his eyes. "Think of it as a welcome gift."
She smiled. "Thank you."
She put her head down and continued filling out the forms. Sesshomaru opened his eyes again and watched her writing with pure concentration on her face. Her hair was pulled over one shoulder and her tongue poked out slightly as she scribbled away. Once she was done, she lifted her head and breathed out.
"All done," she smiled before looking over at him.
He quickly glanced away and sat up properly. "Good." He took the papers from her and placed them to the side. "You will start tomorrow. Do you have smart wear?"
She nodded. "I do. I had one ready in case I was ever called for an interview."
He nodded. "Very well. I look forward to you joining the company."
Lyra suddenly stood up and bowed down from the waist. Her hair fell over her shoulders but she didn't care. Sesshomaru's brows raised slightly at her actions.
"Thank you so much," she said happily. "I don't know what I would have done without you. I am forever grateful for your generosity and I promise to work hard so you won't regret your decision."
Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel a little awkward. "You are most welcome."
She stood up straight and smiled brightly. "I won't let you down!"
A small smile reached his lips. "Good." He stood and walked around the desk to her before holding his hand out. "Where's your phone?"
Without questioning it, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and it placed it in his hand. He typed in his number and then gave it back to her.
"Save my number. Should you ever need anything, do not hesitate to call me."
"Oh," she said with surprise before saving the number. "Thank you."
He began walking towards the office doors. "I expect you to be here by 9am sharp, so go home and get some rest."
She was so tempted to hug him but she decided better against it. "I will."
He opened the door and walked out with her. Hokori glanced up at them, still shooting daggers at Lyra, who was completely oblivious to it all.
"I'll escort you down," he offered.
Lyra quickly shook her head. "No, it's okay. It's pretty straightforward."
"Very well," he nodded. "I shall see you tomorrow."
She smiled. "Yes." She then turned to Hokori and waved. "See you tomorrow."
Hokori put on a fake smile and waved back. They watched Lyra make her way to the elevator before she got in and pressed the button to go down to the ground floor. Once she was completely out of sight, Hokori darted out of her chair and went to Sesshomaru.
"Why are you hiring her?" she interrogated angrily. "I'm sure she doesn't have any experience in this sort of work."
Sesshomaru looked down at her. "If I didn't give her a job, she would have been evicted. She needed my help."
Hokori sighed in frustration and crossed her arms. "But did you have to make her your assistant as well?"
"Why? Are you jealous?"
The woman frowned at him. "No," she lied.
"Don't worry." Sesshomaru hooked his finger under her chin and tilted her head up. "She could never replace you."
He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Hokori wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, relieved by his words.
When Sesshomaru woke up, he knew that Hokori was both his assistant and girlfriend. They had been in a relationship for the past few months but it was kept a secret to maintain professionalism.
After parting from the kiss, Sesshomaru returned to his office and Hokori continued with her work. Meanwhile, she plotted ways to make Lyra's time there a living hell.
***
Lyra almost skipped out of the building. She felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she could finally breathe freely. She couldn't wait to shove the news in the landlord's face. Once she was settled into her knew work, she decided she was going to give it a few weeks in order to find a new apartment to move into. Somewhere a lot nicer than the one she was currently in.
Too happy to return to the apartment so soon, she decided to take a little walk and enjoy the sunshine. Taking a route she never usually took, she saw signs pointing towards a tourist attraction. She had never got to appreciate touristy kind of things so she followed the signs. Now that she had nothing to worry about, she could enjoy moments like that completely stress free.
Upon arriving to her destination, she noticed the attraction was quite popular. There were so many people there but she understood why. It was so beautiful. Even the path leading up to it was stunning. There was a bridge leading over a lake and towards the gardens and even that was breathtaking.
She didn't know why, but she felt as though she had been there before. 'I must have come here as a child...' She finally reached the palace building and vague memories of the place were beginning to return to her. The memories were confusing but she brushed it off as déjà vu. When she entered, she had walked into a large hall. It was huge. Bigger than Sesshomaru's office. There were so many tourists wondering around that she didn't know where to go.
She simply wondered around slowly, taking in the architecture and design of the palace. On one end of the hall, she spotted a large painting hanging on the wall. As soon as her eyes landed on it, her heart felt funny at the sight of it. 'Stupid memories... I'm sure it's because I saw it before as a kid.'
A group of tourists had just walked away from it with their tour guide so she had missed the whole history of the painting. As she made her way over to it, she couldn't really make out the details. It had been washed out over time. Still, she could sort of see a man and a woman in the painting. The man seemed to have long, white hair and she instantly thought of Sesshomaru. She giggled as she mused that the person in the painting could be him. And then she noticed the woman was holding a baby. Again, a strange sensation filled her heart. 'I must be getting heartburn...' Her eyes were glued to the painting, especially at the baby. She couldn't seem to draw her eyes away.
"Lyra?"
The voice startled her and she looked over to whoever said her name. She didn't recognise the person but clearly they recognised her and approached her.
"Oh, it really is you. How are you?
"Uhh...fine, I guess?" she answered before clearing her throat awkwardly. "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"
The person seemed confused but continued smiling. "Are you playing a joke?" they laughed. "That's so unlike you. What are you doing here?"
She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong person."
"Okay, now you're really worrying me..." Their smile dropped as they looked at her with concern. "Or you're just really good at acting."
"I'm really not acting..."
The person sighed. "I'm going to look so silly if you're joking... It's me. Kanda."
Lyra's brows furrowed at the tall man standing in front of her. She was still super confused.
"Who?"